82 FR 18608 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; State & Local Government Finance Collections

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 75 (April 20, 2017)

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 75 (Thursday, April 20, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18608-18609]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-07950]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; State & Local 
Government Finance Collections

    The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. chapter 35).
    Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
    Title: State & Local Government Finance Collections.
    OMB Control Number: 0607-0585.
    Form Number(s): F-5, F-11, F-12, F-13, F-28, F-29, F-32.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Number of Respondents: 26,447.
    Average Hours per Response: 2 hours and 51 minutes.
    Burden Hours: 75,150.
    Needs and Uses: The State & Local Government Finance program is the 
only known comprehensive source of state and local government finance 
data collected on a nationwide scale using uniform definitions, 
concepts, and procedures. The Census Bureau implements this program 
through conducting a full census every five years (years ending in 2 
and 7) and annual sample surveys in the interim years. The Census 
Bureau has conducted the Census of Governments every five years since 
1957 and phased in the annual surveys over the subsequent years.
    Currently, we are requesting approval to conduct the 2017 Census of 
Governments: Finance component and the 2018 and 2019 Annual Survey of 
State Government Tax Collections, Annual Survey of State Government 
Finances, the Annual Survey of Local Government Finances, and the 
Annual Survey of Public Pensions. These surveys collect data on state 
government finances and estimates of local government revenue, 
expenditure, debt, assets, and pension systems nationally and within 
state areas. Data are collected for all agencies, departments, and 
institutions of the fifty state and approximate 77,000 local 
governments (counties, municipalities, townships, and special 
districts) during the census years, and for a sample of the local 
governments (approximately 11,000) for the survey years. An additional 
13,000 units of school districts are covered in a separate request.
    Over the past several years, the programs covered by this request 
have moved towards eliminating collection by paper form as much as 
possible. The only exception to this is the F-13 form, which is still 
sent as a paper form because the small number of respondents does not 
justify the cost of converting it to an electronic form. Below is a 
short description of each the forms utilized in our general collection 
methods:
    F-5. State governments provide detailed data on their tax 
collections using a spreadsheet that they receive via email. Much of 
this detail is not available in the state's primary source document. An 
attachment is included with the email providing the respondent with the 
OMB approval number, authority and confidentiality statements, and 
burden estimate.
    F-11 and F-12. State and local government pension systems provide 
data on their receipts, payments, assets, membership, and 
beneficiaries. The actuarial content of the F-11 and F-12 forms is in 
the process of being reviewed to remove outdated questions and replace 
them with questions that are more relevant based on current accounting 
standards and data user interest. The current burden estimates of 2 
hours for F-11 and 2.5 hours for F-12 are not expected to change 
because of these updates. These forms are completed online via 
electronic collection instrument.
    F-13. State agencies provide data not included in the audits, 
electronic files and other primary sources the Census Bureau uses to 
compile state government financial data. Form F-13 is used to collect 
data from state insurance trust systems. Respondents to this survey 
receive a paper form.
    F-28. Counties, cities, and townships provide data on revenues, 
expenditures, debt, and assets. These forms are completed online via 
electronic collection instrument.
    F-29. Multi-function special district governments provide data on 
revenues, expenditures, debt, and assets. These forms are completed 
online via electronic collection instrument.
    F-32. Single-function special district governments and dependent 
agencies of local governments provide data on revenues, expenditures, 
debt and assets. These forms are completed online via electronic 
collection instrument.
    In addition to these more traditional collection methods, the 
Census Bureau also collects electronic data files through arrangements 
with state governments, central collection arrangements with local 
governments, and using customized electronic reporting instruments.
    These data are widely used by Federal, state, and local 
legislators, policy makers, analysts, economists, and researchers to 
follow the changing characteristics of the government sector of the 
economy. The data are also widely used by the media and academia.
    More specifically, the Census Bureau provides its state and local 
government finance data annually to the Bureau of Economic Analysis 
(BEA) for use in measuring and developing estimates of the government 
sector of the economy in the National Income and Product Accounts. The 
Census Bureau also provides these data to the Federal Reserve Board for 
constructing the Flow of Funds Accounts.
    Additionally, the state and local government data are also needed 
as inputs into the Justice Expenditure and Employment Extract Series, 
produced by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, and the National Health 
Expenditure Accounts produced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
Services. The data are also published annually in the Digest of 
Education Statistics produced by National Center for Education 
Statistics, the Economic Report of the President produced by the 
Council of Economic Advisors, and the source data are used as input 
into the State and Local Governments Fiscal Outlook published by the 
Government Accountability Office. In addition, the data are used by the 
National Science Foundation as inputs into the state government R&D 
expenditures.
    In recent years, state and local government financial information 
has garnered significant media attention and policy coverage. As such, 
timely state and local government finance data are critical in light of 
current financial conditions of state and local governments, as they 
provide insight into the complex nature and fiscal health of state and 
local government finances.
    Beginning with the 1993 annual data series, all data, summary 
tables, and files have been released on the Internet. At the Internet 
site, (census.gov/govs/) users will find documentation, summary tables 
and files.
    Affected Public: State, local or Tribal government.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C., Sections 161 and 182.

[[Page 18609]]

    This information collection request may be viewed at 
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce 
collections currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to [email protected] or fax to (202) 395-5806.

Sheleen Dumas,
PRA Department Lead, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-07950 Filed 4-19-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-07-P